FLIGHTENED OFF

SAFETY CONCERNS LEAVE SHOW GROUNDED

Graeme Donohoe Plans for a stage tribute to defunct Scots airline British Caledonian have been grounded after a theatre pulled the plug on the show.

Former air hostesses wanted to recreate the famous I Wish They All Could Be Caledonian Girls telly adverts from the 80s by performing with a Beach Boys covers band at Glasgow’s Pavilion.

It is 30 years since the airline – original ly launched as Caledonian by Glaswegian entrepreneur Sir Adam Thomson in 1961 – collapsed.

Former cabin crew members have already donned their tartan uniforms, hat and scarves to appear on stage with tribute act the Beach Boyz for shows south of the Border.

But Pavilion general manager Iain Gordon snubbed the request for five ex- air stewardesses to perform a song during the two-hour show citing health and safety concerns.

He axed the show on Thursday after protests – despite the Beach Boyz being booked last July to perform on August 3.

Former British Caledonian general manager Laurie Price said: “We wanted to celebrate Scotland’s aviation heritage.

“All we wanted was for five ex-stewardesses to be on stage for just three minutes of a two-hour show.”

Beach Boyz have learned the lyrics to one of the 80s TV commercials and they had former British Caledonian air hostesses join them on stage at gigs in Horsham in Sussex and at Epsom and Camberley in Surrey.

An email from Gordon to the tribute organisers stated: “There are health and safety implications in doing walk- on parts like this, risk assessments, health and safety policies, public liability insurance.

“Unfortunately, the paperwork takes over now.

“Nowadays it’s not as easy as just saying yes and get on with it, as I have been caught out a couple of times over the years, and I have to protect the good name of the Pavilion.”

But Gordon admitted: “Their video was awful. To be honest